When you plan your trip to San Francisco, one of the problems you will have to face will be to figure out the best way to get around the city. Although there are many fast and modern options to rely on, most tourists choose to ride the famous cable cars that date back to the late nineteenth century.
The cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz are the three most popular attractions featured on postcards in the city of San Francisco. In this article, we will take a look at their history, route map, how they work, the prices, and any other information that can be useful to you.
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Cable Cars in San Francisco: History
Between 1873 and 1890, 23 cable car lines operated around San Francisco. The one who invented the cable car was a Londoner named Andrew Hallidie. As the story goes, which may be partially true and part legend, after seeing a horse-drawn carriage slide down a hill in San Francisco, Halladie had the inspiration to develop cable cars.
In other words, he wanted to create a system that would adapt to the city’s geography and allow its citizens to travel safely through San Francisco.
The historical importance of cable cars is underlined by the fact that they were the first public transportation system to be included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1964.
Today the cable car system is part of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and, although only three lines remain active, it is estimated that as many as seven million people use this service every year. Most of the passengers are tourists, while locals now rely on more modern and faster public transportation in the Bay Area.
How Cable Cars Work
What sets the cable cars apart is precisely the fact that they travel along the city streets without being powered by a motor. There is an iron cable that runs at a constant speed under the road surface to which the cable car “hooks up” on the surface.
In other words, for the cable car to start moving, the operator operates a lever which, like a pair of pliers, grabs the cable through an opening in the road surface and the amount of pressure that is applied, determines the speed. To stop the cable car, rather than tighten the grip on the cable, it is loosened and the operator hits the brakes.
At the end of the route, there is a large circular platform that allows you to literally turn the cable car around so that it can resume its journey and head in the opposite direction.
Cable Car Map: Routes
Both the Powell-Mason and the Powell-Hyde lines start at Market Street and make a stop at Union Square. However, the two lines have different routes and final destinations. But let’s study the two routes.
- Powell-Hyde: It ends near Ghirardelli Square. We recommend you to use this line if you want to reach the famous Lombard Street and also because at Lombard St, you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the bay and of Alcatraz.
- Powell-Mason: The route ends at the corner of Bay Street and Taylor Street near the famous Fisherman’s Wharf. It also passes near Lombard Street, but it will allow you to admire the famous street from below while the Powell/Hyde line passes above Lombard St.
- California St: It starts on Van Ness Avenue and goes all the way to the Financial District. At the California Street/Powell Street stop in Nob Hill, this line intersects with the other two lines.
Useful Tips
As you know, or you may have understood from the photos, there is not much space on the cable car, and, especially during the high season, there is always a fairly long line at the first stop. In spite of this, the advice I would like to give you, also from personal experience, is to go to the first stop if you intend to use the service.
The cable car is almost always filled up at the start and most of the time there is no space to get on at the next stops, so you run the risk of being stranded until a cable car with some free seats shows up (but if there are always people at the end of the line, you understand that it will be very difficult for this to happen quickly).
Because of the limited space of the cable cars, wheelchairs are not allowed on cable cars, but if the cable car is not so full, you can ask if you can get on with the wheelchair closed. The decision is at the discretion of the staff.
Cable Car Ticket Price
When it comes to paying for your ticket to ride the cable car, you will have many possibilities to choose from, some of which will also allow you to save money if you plan to use the service more than once. The price of a ride is $8. You can either pay for the ticket in cash after boarding the cable car or you can also pay beforehand.
Please note, however, that the single ride can only be used on the cable car you are riding. So if you want to start your journey on one line and end it on another, you will have to pay for a second ticket.
It should also be noted that the term “single ride” means a “one way” trip, so if you want to go from one terminal to another and then back on the same line you will have to get another ticket for the return trip, since the ticket for a set “time” but for a “ride”. Therefore, one ticket does give you the possibility to stay inside the cable car to make the return trip.
But let’s take a look at the options that allow you to save some money:
Visitor Passport
The price varies according to how many days you want to use it. With the Visitor Passport, you will also have unlimited rides on the MUNI.
- 1 day: $13
- 3 days: $31
- 7 days: $41
CityPASS
This may be the most convenient choice especially if you are planning to visit the many attractions that the city has to offer. You can use our guide to find out which San Francisco City Pass to choose according to your needs.
Timetable
The cable car service starts at 7:00 am and continue until 10:30 pm Monday through Sunday. The cable cars pass quite frequently, and a cable car departs from the first station every 10 minutes. For more details on the schedule, check the official website.
San Francisco Cable Car Museum
The museum is located at 1201 Mason Street. If you are interested in learning more about cable cars, a visit to this museum may be worth it. Both the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines stop in front of the museum while the California St. line stops on Mason Street only three blocks from the building. It is fitting to travel to this museum by cable car, but it is also the best option, because the museum does not have a parking lot.
When you visit the San Francisco Cable Car Museum, you will discover that it is not only a simple museum but also the point of origin of the steel cables that the cable cars travel on!
